In the ancient world, successful people were expected to boast. Highly regarded teachers, politicians, and public officials were encouraged to polish their resumes and roll them out before the watching world as often as they could. Caesar Augustus ordered that his achievements literally be carved in stone all over the empire. Soldiers competed for high honors that could only be won in… Read more »
In 1849 a young Russian named Fyodor Dostoevsky was arrested and imprisoned. He was charged with being part of a group that read books that appeared to be critical of Czar Nicholas I. After awaiting trial for eight months in a festering jail, Dostoevsky and his fellow “criminals” were led outside three days before Christmas into the frigid air. They were horrified to… Read more »
For the four weeks leading up to and going beyond Easter, we’re looking at the life of Peter. Because he’s so often at the center of both the brightest and darkest moments in the Gospels, he has always been a source of hope and inspiration for those endeavoring to follow Jesus. In Bible times, the foot was literally and symbolically the… Read more »
Across the spectrum of global spirituality, is there anything unique to the Christian faith? Those attending a British conference on comparative religions in the middle of the last century debated that very question. When all is said and done, is there anything associated with following Jesus that has no parallel? How about the Incarnation? That didn’t fly, since other religions include stories… Read more »
Harvey Penick literally wrote the book on golf. Throughout his life, he never aspired to be an author. He simply loved everything that goes with hitting the little white ball. Born in Texas in 1902, Penick began to caddie at the Austin Country Club at the age of eight. By the time he turned 13 he had been elevated to… Read more »
So why didn’t Sam and Frodo just fly to Mordor on the backs of the eagles, since that’s how they were ultimately rescued? OK, let’s back up. In case you haven’t read the monumental Lord of the Rings saga, or seen their Oscar-winning film depictions, the central storyline of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale involves the humblest of creatures – a… Read more »
For more than 17 years I served on the same church staff as fellow pastor Scott Shelton. One day I noticed a sharp-looking navy blue blazer hanging just behind Scott’s office door. At the time I owned a navy blue blazer, too. I pointed out that mine had definitely seen better days. “You can borrow mine any time you want,”… Read more »
When I was growing up, some of the older boys in my school used to taunt me: “Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o!” It appears they were right, because it’s all come horribly true. I’m old. My name is McDonald. And I do indeed live on a farm – a small horse farm about a half-hour’s drive from downtown Indianapolis. … Read more »
Throughout Lent, we’re exploring the parables of Jesus – the two dozen or so stories that were his chief means of describing the reality of God’s rule on earth. Back in the 1920s, a Canadian amateur golfer left a lasting mark on the game he loved. It just wasn’t the kind of legacy he had always imagined. David Bernard Mulligan,… Read more »
Throughout Lent, we’re exploring the parables of Jesus – the two dozen or so stories that were his chief means of describing the reality of God’s rule on earth. Lou Johnson was one of the heroes who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Minnesota Twins in the 1965 World Series. Nicknamed “Sweet” Lou because of his infectious smile and… Read more »
